Kerstin Ekman

Kerstin Lillemor Ekman (née Hjorth; born 27 August 1933) is a Swedish novelist.

Kerstin Ekman
Kerstin Ekman in 2011
Born	Kerstin Lillemor Hjorth (1933-08-27) 27 August 1933 (age 91) Finspång, Sweden
Nationality	Swedish
Education	Uppsala University (history of literature)
Period	1959–
Notable works	Blackwater Kvinnorna och staden trilogy Vargskinnet trilogy
Notable awards	Best Swedish Crime Novel Award
Spouses	Stig Ekman (1954-1966; divorced) Börje Frelin (1972-)
Children	Magnus
Member of the Swedish Academy (Seat No. 15)
In office 20 December 1978 – 7 May 2018
Preceded by	Harry Martinson
Succeeded by	Jila Mossaed

Life and career

Kerstin Ekman wrote a string of successful detective novels (among others De tre små mästarna and Dödsklockan) but later went on to psychological and social themes. Among her later works is Mörker och blåbärsris (1972) (set in northern Sweden) and Händelser vid vatten (1993), in which she returned to the form of the detective novel.

Ekman was elected member of the Swedish Academy in 1978, but left the Academy in 1989, together with Lars Gyllensten and Werner Aspenström, due to the debate following death threats posed to Salman Rushdie. In 2018, the Academy granted her resignation, the rules of membership having changed to allow members to resign.^[1]

In 1998, she was awarded the Litteris et Artibus medal.

Partial bibliography

See the article on Swedish Wikipedia for a complete bibliography.

• Blackwater (Händelser vid vatten, 1993), translated by Joan Tate, 1996
• Under the Snow (De tre små mästarna, 1961), translated by Joan Tate, 1997
• The Forest of Hours (Rövarna i Skuleskogen, 1988), translated 1998
• Grand final i skojarbranschen (2011)
• Då var allt levande och lustigt : om Clas Bjerkander : Linnélärjunge, präst och naturforskare i Västergötland (2015)

The Women and the Town (Kvinnorna och staden) Tetralogy

• Witches' Rings (Häxringarna, 1974), translated by Linda Schenck, 1997
• The Spring (Springkällan, 1976), translated by Linda Schenck, 1999
• Angel House (Änglahuset, 1979), translated by Sarah G. Death, 2002
• A City of Light (En stad av ljus, 1983), translated by Linda Schenck, 2003

The Wolfskin (Vargskinnet) Trilogy

• God's Mercy (Guds Barmhärtighet, 1999)
• The Last String (Sista rompan, 2002)
• Lottery Scratchcards (Skraplotter, 2003)